


Ride On

by RhythmBastard



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Fluff, Gen, New Job, Secret Santa, remember TF2chan, there was a song attached
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27653231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RhythmBastard/pseuds/RhythmBastard
Summary: Sniper's looking to ship out to his new assignment in the middle of the night, when he runs into a certain someone...
Relationships: Engineer/Sniper (Team Fortress 2)
Kudos: 14





	Ride On

**Author's Note:**

> Made for a TF2Chan Secret Santa ALLLLL the way back in 2012. My prompt was: "Sniper/Engineer. Surprise me. I'm a sucker for sad, tragic stuff, but fluff is fine too!" There was a song that was originally included with this you can find on my Soundcloud, but that was 8 years ago.
> 
> My album inspired by Team Fortress 2, "Status Quo Radio", turned 5 recently, so I figured it's about time to dust these off and put them up on AO3.
> 
> You can download it here: https://rhythmbastard.bandcamp.com/
> 
> Keep in mind, I AM in the process of re-writing a lot of it for the sake of my upcoming "Greatest Hits/Road Mix" album.

“Well, where’re you off to, Stretch?”   
  
Those were the last words the Sniper wanted to hear.

He turned around to see the team’s Engineer, wiping the rust and blood off of his favorite wrench, welder’s goggles still on. The Sniper put his backpack down, “Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you…” he stammered as he tried to look casual.   
  
“Shoot, no trouble at all! Just getting’ everything all ready for tomorrow.” The Engineer took off his goggles and wiped them down as well. His gaze traveled to the sack. “What’s that for?”   
  
“Nothing, just dropping it off to the van”   
  
“Quite a lot you got there. Need any help?”   
  
Sniper let out a protracted grunt. He knew where this was going, and there was little sense in trying to hide it. After all, it was the Engineer’s nature to ask questions. Not that he was nosy, just that his natural curiosity didn’t know where to stop.   
  
“I was hoping the Administrator would tell ya this, but-“ he stopped short as he caught the sight of the Engineer’s eyes. As affable as he was, on some days, when the sun is beating down on the battlefield, and the BLU team had been pushing hard on the point, one could catch a glimpse of those eyes behind the goggles, wide with fear as he tried to keep his machines running under the din of battle.

In that moment, the Sniper was able to see those same eyes in the dim lantern’s light of the outskirts of the RED base, and flashed back to all those moments of panic and desperation they shared on the battlefield.   
  
“-but my contract’s been… altered…”   
  
The words echoed off the wooden walls of the Granary base, and hit the ears of the befallen Texan.   
  
The Engineer put his goggles back on and dropped his wrench, trying to make it look like a simple fumble, as he picked it up off the floor. “Wha- What do you mean?”   
  
“I’ve been hired by BLU.” Before the Engineer could spit out another word, the Sniper continued. “Listen, it’s really good money, and they said I’d be stationed at 5Gorge, miles away from here, so I wouldn’t have to shoot ya.” He tried to laugh, but it came out forced and robotic.   
  
“Oh… You tell anyone else?”   
  
Sniper looked at the floor, and kicked and kicked a stray rock underneath a cabinet. “No, I was hoping to leave before anybody noticed. You know, goodbyes and all that…”   
  
“Yeah, I can see. So you’re really leavin’?”   
  
“That’s about the size of it.”   
  
Engineer wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked down at his wrench. After a long deep breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, and braced for what would come next. “Was it an easy decision?”   
  
Sniper remained silent, trying to avoid eye contact, occasionally looking out to the van, waiting patiently in the moonlight.   
  
“I just figured after a couple years, you’d at least had the nerve t’ let us know about things like this.” Engineer swallowed hard, but coughed to cover up the sound. “I know Demo and Scout are gonna take it hard-“   
  
“So I guess it’s not about what I want, is it?” interrupted the Sniper as he picked up his sack and started toward the van. He knew that he had a family in the RED team, but he was after all, a mercenary, and had to go where the money was. It took all he could to give one last nostalgic look back at his home for the past two years, but he kept forward, not wanting to show his chin trembling.   
  
“Listen, I’m sorry,” the Engineer yelled, as he ran as fast as his little legs could toward the van. The keys were already in the door when he caught up to the camper van. “Hell, it’s just we’re going to miss you- I mean, miss having you out there in the thick o’ things, you know?” He fumbled around his overalls, and pulled out a small mining light that he sometimes wore on his hard hat.   
  
“It’s not much, but I figured it could be of some use to you?”   
  
Sniper looked down, and a tiny smile crept across his long, narrow face. “Thanks, Truckie”   
  
“Don’t mention it, partner.” He sniffed and extended a gloved hand. “Good luck out there.”   
  
The Sniper put down his bag. “Same to you, mate,” he said in kind, arms open wide.   
  
The two men embraced, holding on for one last time. The rest of the world could wait, as the universe stood still for this one final moment.   
  
Engineer watched as the van drove off into the desert night, and kept looking out toward the horizon for another good hour.   
  
When he walked back to his room, he went through the old routine: got the guitar from under the bed, and started playing.  
  
May the road rise to meet you  
As you go do what you need to  
But I hope you know I’ll miss you when you’re gone

It’ll just wasting time  
Worrying if you’ll be fine  
But I know that light’ll shine as you ride on  
  
 _Ride on, ride on,  
Ride on, Ride on  
Like a lonesome cowboy,  
Just ride on  
  
Maybe you’ll be reminded  
Of all the ones you left behind  
And what you had decided turns out wrong  
  
Now I’m not one for spite  
But I know I’ll take delight  
If you’ll see I was right all along  
  
Ride on, ride on,  
Ride on, Ride on  
Like a lonesome cowboy,  
Just ride on  
  
I’ll see you  
Though I’m   
But I hope you’re still alive as you ride on  
  
Ride on, ride on,  
Ride on, Ride on  
Like a lonesome cowboy,  
Just ride on  
  
Ride on, ride on,  
Ride on, Ride on  
Like a lonesome cowboy,  
Just ride on_

**Author's Note:**

> So around this time my family was moving down to Florida, and I had to join them since I wasn't making enough money.
> 
> We solely moved down here because my Dad would be working for his brother/my uncle, a job he had for MAYBE a year or two before losing it due to a medical issue that cost him his sight. Looking back, writing this was a way of externalizing my anxiety at the time, so I did it again 2 years later, in another fic coming soon.


End file.
